One Last Time
by A3shFaerie
Summary: Kazahaya sees his last job through Rikuo's eyes and reacts negatively to the news. set after the events of ch. 7 in Drug & Drop
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: this is following the events of ch. 7 in Drug & Drop (the new name of Legal Drug)**

**Disclaimer! I OWN NOTHING! COPYRIGHT GOES TO CLAMP! Hehe if I did…well…let's just say RikHaya would be a bit more than just co-workers XD**

~x*x*x*~

Kazahaya groaned as he looked at all of the boxes that needed to be unpacked and put on shelves. This was so much harder now that Kazahaya was the only one in the shop and Rikuo…well Rikuo was out doing whatever he could to find Tsukiko. Kazahaya would never admit that he missed him, out loud anyways. He missed the teasing and, quite frankly, he missed Rikuo's presence. His presence that always made Kazahaya feel safe and grounded. Without Rikuo there at the Green Drugstore…it just wasn't _home_ anymore.

"Kudo-kun, we're going to close early…we'll finish up in the morning, alright?" Kakei said, worried for his employee's health now that no one was there to watch him.

"Okay, Kakei-san. Goodnight," Kazahaya replied wearily. He stood from his crouched position, walked out the door, and climbed the steps to the apartment. Kazahaya closed the metal door behind him and locked it. He slowly slid to the ground and put his head on his knees.

Kazahaya hadn't been eating, or sleeping for that matter, very well. He was, quite literally, worrying himself sick about Rikuo. Kazahaya's already frail body was beginning to show signs of sickness: fever, no appetite, cough or sneeze here and there, and the chills. His psychic power was already growing stronger as he grew weaker. Kakei hadn't mentioned the _other_ job in a week. It'd been that long since Rikuo took off. He figured Kakei didn't ask him because Kazahaya couldn't _do_ them, at least, not without Rikuo.

Kazahaya stood, swayed just a little, and then flopped down on his bed. He wasn't hungry, so he figured he might as well just try to sleep.

_The room was filled with alcohol bottles scattered across the floor. A small being stood and was saying something. Kazahaya looked down and saw himself collapsed and unconscious in someone's arms. No—he thought—not someone's. Rikuo's. This was Rikuo's memory. How Kazahaya had gotten there he didn't know, but he did know that this was the last job he had done…involving the "child" that was trapped there. Kazahaya focused on the creature's moving lips, desperately trying to read them. He caught a few words: _

"_**That which connects you to her is something you have within your grasp."**_

_Kazahaya's eyes widened._

~x*x*x*~

Kazahaya jerked awake.

"I was in his grasp…" He whispered growing more horrified by the moment.

Her. If it was a person Rikuo was familiar with then the only answer could be that "her" referred to Tsukiko. Kazahaya paled. If he was connected somehow to Tsukiko it meant—he gulped, suddenly nauseous. Kazahaya flew out of bed and rushed to the toilet to throw up what little he'd had for breakfast. He sat there like that for a long time: his back against the wall. He felt miserable.

The next morning Kazahaya had, indeed, skipped breakfast and came to work early. His face was pale and his mood way down in the dumps. Kakei picked up on it and couldn't fathom what could possibly be wrong. He doubted it was Rikuo, after all this looked like a very fresh wound to the heart. However…Kakei got the feeling that Kazahaya's future was now blocked to him, and this worried him greatly.

Kazahaya began to unpack the boxes that had been left there last night. He was so engulfed in his depression that he didn't even realize what he was unpacking. Condoms. The source of endless torment from two adversaries: one, who was not there, and the other who was quite surprised when he realized that the kid wasn't even reacting to the item he was stacking on the shelves.

"Kakei," Saiga began, "what the hell is wrong with the kid?"

Kakei frowned, deeply saddened and worried for the boy.

"I don't know," he said finally, "but it's scaring me, Saiga."

That did it. Saiga walked over towards the kid and hauled him to his feet. Kazahaya gasped in surprise.

"Kid, what's wrong with you?"

Kazahaya paled more. "N-nothing," he stuttered.

"Kudo," Saiga said threateningly.

Kazahaya pulled his arm away from Saiga's grasp and rubbed it gingerly.

"I just haven't been feeling well lately is all," Kazahaya murmured.

Saiga raised his brows in suspicion, "Do you need cold medicine?"

"I don't want any." Kazahaya's gaze darkened.

This surprised Saiga even more. Now he _really_ knew something was up. Then, almost on impulse, Saiga wrapped his arms around the kid's waist…who didn't squirm. This made even _Saiga_ worry incessantly. That was when he realized that the kid didn't feel quite right—no, in fact, the kid felt even skinnier than before.

"Kazahaya? Have you been eating?"

The kid stiffened immediately in his arms, but did not answer. That would be a "no", Saiga's instincts yelled.

"Kazahaya, what's going on?"

Unfortunately, this is when Kazahaya's fever decided to take a turn for the worse and make him go lightheaded. Saiga felt it when the kid slumped in his arms and knew that the body would be limp.

"Kudo-kun!" Kakei yelled, seeing the now limp body in Saiga's arms. "What happened?" Kakei asked Saiga with an urgency.

"I don't know. He just suddenly…fainted…"

Kakei felt Kazahaya's head and his eyes widened, "Saiga…he's burning up!"

With that in mind Saiga carried the kid to the break room and laid him down on the couch while Kakei got the supplies needed to treat his fever and later the cold. He put the cold cloth on Kazahaya's forehead and then he told Saiga to go make some rice porridge.

Kazahaya stirred. His eyes fluttered open and he heard a relieved sigh to his right. Kakei was kneeling next to him and was smiling at him with a face torn between worry and relief.

"Kudo-kun, what's happening with you? How did this happen…?" Kakei asked.

Kazahaya closed his eyes and looked Kakei in the eye. "I got sick. Because I haven't been sleeping…and then I lost my appetite."

"Kudo-kun...oh here's your rice porridge." If Kakei hadn't turned his head to look back at Kazahaya at that moment, he would've missed the gag, but he did see it and it scared him. "Kudo-kun…?"

Kazahaya met his gaze, but didn't explain. Instead, he lowered his head in shame. "Gomen'nasai…" he whispered, tears falling down his cheeks. He quickly covered his face with his hands as the misery set in and refused to be ignored any longer.

Saiga and Kakei looked at each other, but equally confused by the situation.

"It's all my fault," he sobbed, "All mine."

This was breaking the two men's hearts as they watched Kazahaya break down.

"What's your fault, Kudo-kun?" Kakei asked gently.

Kazahaya sobbed more at the question. "Tsukiko-san," he whispered, "Kei. This is my fault. All of it…I'm so sorry…" he whimpered.

"Kudo-kun? What are you talking about?"

Kazahaya lifted his head and gazed at Kakei with tears still running down his face. "Rikuo," he realized, "Rikuo is going to hate me when he realizes—if he hasn't already. That's probably why he's avoiding me…" Kazahaya's head dropped and more tears fell.

"What are you saying? Rikuo cares—"

"NO! He won't. Not after this."

"Kudo-kun…" Kakei looked almost wounded.

And then Kazahaya fainted.

~x*x*x*~

**A/N: **

**Whew~! That plot bunny taken care of. More to come~ hehehe I figured I'd be mean and leave this as a cliffhanger. Sorry~ muahaha you could say Clamp is a bad influence :D**

**Please review~! ^^ thanks for reading.**


	2. Chapter 2

Ch2

**A/N:**

**Hallo~! Hey ya'll~ miss me? xD well here is chapter 2. ^^**

**BAH! All these darn bunnies hoppin around in my head! I swear they'll be the death of me one day. I have at least 5 plot bunnies makin a mess of my poor imagination. you guys are lucky that THIS plot bunny loved you guys so much cuz of your FANTASTIC reviews, so in exchange this lil guy bounced and bounced and gave me a surge of energy that resulted innnn THIS *****points down* sooo be glad that it out-bounced the other annoying lil suckers in the back of my head. **

**Annnddd I'm droning. Enjoy~!**

~x*x*x*~

Kakei glanced at the cell phone in his hand, sighing deeply. If he didn't call Rikuo…who knows what would happen to the kid? His finger lingered over the call button. It was because of his dream last night that he even considered calling Rikuo now. Well, really it was more because of Kazahaya's frightening fainting spell the afternoon before. He still hadn't woken up. Saiga had moved the teen back to his room when it became clear he would not wake. That was about closing time yesterday.

Saiga came up behind Kakei and wrapped his arms around the fairer man's waist.

"I'm gonna press the button if you don't," Saiga murmured, his chin resting on top of Kakei's head.

Kakei sighed. "What do I tell him?"

"You're worried about that _now_?" Saiga laughed. "Well. Tell him the truth I suppose."

Kakei frowned and, in a brief moment of bravery, pressed the call button. It rang for a while, but eventually Rikuo answered.

"Hello?"

"Rikuo."

"Kakei? Why the hell—"

"Rikuo," Kakei said his voice sterner, "what did the creature tell you on your last job?"

"What—? He said that 'which connects me to her is something within your grasp.' Why?"

"That was word-for-word, right?" Kakei sighed. "Never mind that, do you have any guesses as to what he might have meant?"

"Well, I thought it would've been that bit about the Moon Boat sect Saiga told me about. That's why I left the store—wait, you already know this. Why you askin' me?"

Kakei frowned deeply. "Rikuo. I need you to return to the drugstore immediately. No buts. NOW."

"Kakei? What the hell—?"

"Rikuo, listen very carefully to what I'm about to say."

Rikuo grunted.

"Kudo-kun is in grave danger."

There was a pregnant silence of shock on the other end.

"What…?"

"Return. Immediately. One more thing: it wasn't the info Saiga gave you. Kudo-kun already knows." And with that Kakei hung up. His dream made more sense now—a _bad_ kind of sense.

"Saiga," Kakei tried to keep the worry out of his voice, but was unsuccessful, "please check on Kudo-kun."

Saiga briefly nodded and walked very quickly to Kazahaya upstairs.

~x*x*x*~

Kazahaya was in utter darkness. He was in a fetal position and felt numb to everything. Memories were making slideshows of themselves here in this darkness. Memories of the pillow he slept on, blankets he used to keep warm, and the clothes he wore. Everything invaded Kazahaya's mind. His grip on reality was beginning to fade. That's when he felt another consciousness seek entry into his mind. He allowed it to enter. The consciousness was Tsukiko. She was frowning, as if seeing him like this made her sad.

"_What are you doing?" _She asked.

"_Nothing," _he replied.

"_Do not try to blow away. There are people waiting for you—who need you. Wake up."_

"_No. It hurts…my chest hurts. I—I don't want Rikuo to hate me."_

"_Why do you think he will?"_

"_Because it's my fault. If I hadn't of run away…"_

"_Your family's actions are not your own," _she said, disagreeing.

"_No, but I caused them. I don't know how—or why—my family thought they needed to involve you, but the consequences are my responsibility."_

"…"

"_Kei. Please—did she—?"_

"_She has gotten involved. You must stop her…she threatens to kill whoever gets in the way of you two being together. And at the moment…can you guess who that is?"_

Kazahaya paled. He did. His employers. His coworker. Dread coiled itself in his stomach and he immediately knew that Kei _would_ kill. If it meant getting him back.

"_We'll meet soon. Until then…watch over him, please."_ With that, Tsukiko left and Kazahaya was left alone.

He was suddenly very tired. The memories had stopped, though. That was good, but now he wished to have pleasant dreams so that he may delay the pain that awaited him when he awoke.

~x*x*x*~

The next day Rikuo practically ran into the drugstore when it was finally in sight. He entered the building and walked up to Kakei.

"Explain. Quickly." Rikuo growled, his patience wearing very, very thin.

Kakei sighed. During these few seconds Rikuo seemed to notice that Kazahaya was not in the store.

"Where is Kazahaya?"

"He's sleeping," Kakei looked down and said sadly. Rikuo raised an eyebrow.

"He's been sleeping for three days. And his fever isn't going down."

Rikuo scoffed, "That's what you call 'grave'?"

"Yes. If he doesn't wake soon…he'll…" Kakei choked on the words.

Rikuo blanched. "What? He'll what?"

"The kid's dying, Rikuo." Saiga said appearing from behind a door.

Rikuo's eyes widened and he bolted out of the store and up the stairs to the shared apartment. He burst through the door, saw Kazahaya lying so still he _could_ have been dead, and almost broke down. He rushed to Kazahaya's side.

"Kazahaya! Kazahaya! Wake up! Open your eyes!" Rikuo cried out desperately and reached for Kazahaya's hand to hold it in his own.

Rikuo felt the high fever, even through just holding the hand. He could also see just how skinny Kazahaya was. His cheeks were slightly sunken in, dark bags were beneath his eyes, and his face was a sickly pale color. The breathing was ragged and very, very shallow. Rikuo could barely even see the rise and fall of Kazahaya's chest. Rikuo located the pulse—or what was left of it anyway—on Kazahaya's wrist and almost cried. It was so weak.

"Rikuo."

Rikuo turned his head to see Kakei. "What?"

"Please take care of him."

Rikuo cocked an eyebrow. As if Kakei had to tell him.

"No matter what he tells you when he wakes up…you must not hold him responsible. He's beaten himself up about it as it is. Any more punishment, from you especially, will break him." And then Kakei left, leaving Rikuo to puzzle over his words.

~x*x*x*~

Kazahaya was pulled from a very nice dream back into the darkness. He could vaguely tell that someone was calling his name. Kazahaya reached for the sound. Up, and up, and up…

Kazahaya opened his eyes to slits. It was dark out. There was pressure on his hand. He turned his head to look and what he saw shocked him. Rikuo was holding his hand. Kazahaya's body felt incredibly stiff, any movement caused protest in all his muscles and bones, and a groan come out.

Rikuo sat up suddenly at the groan. He saw Kazahaya his eyes clenched shut and beads of sweat lined his forehead. Rikuo saw Kazahaya's legs jerk violently at the sudden movement of the body. Rikuo then saw that Kazahaya's eyes were _open_ and staring at him incredulously.

"Okaerinasai*," Kazahaya mumbled weakly, his throat and mouth dry.

"That's my line, moron."

~x*x*x*~

**A/N:**

**PHEW.**

**Oh my~ look at that another cliffie~ muahaha. So sorry dear fans. :P**

**That was about 4½ pages worth of writing. And *****looks at clock & blinks***** that's odd. *blinks* I coulda sworn that said 12:30 (AM) a minute ago. When did it get to be 2:55? Anyways. ARGGGHHH so much dialogue! Sorry :/**

**Thanks again to all you readers who reviewed—this goes out to you! Cuz you made me wanna write it! :p ^^**

*** = a lil reminder for those who have forgotten: it means "welcome back".**

**Thanks for reading! I hoped you enjoyed! And remember…REVIEW! It practically guarantees faster updates! ^^ :D**


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

**Review Responses! :D**

**Yumi Kei: thanks again for the constructive criticism ^^  
haha don't worry...there's gonna be a SURPLUS of emotion in this chapter, i guarantee it. There's probably going to be a lot less dialogue too...i hope (ugh). Also…please update soon! You're killin me!**

**NoodleFighter: THANK YOU! ^^ as for the updates…hmm…well it could go for as long as a month (but you won't have to worry about that until school starts) but usually I'll have the next chapter as soon as a couple of days or right around 5 days. Maybe a week if I'm busy. (like this time sorry)**

**Oky Verlo: Thanks! I appreciate it! :D**

**A/N: I am sooo sorry for the delay…I went on a family trip and didn't bring my computer…didn't think we'd stay as long as we did :/  
Once again, love you all andddd ENJOY! ^^**

~x*x*x*~

Kazahaya was back to normal. Well, as normal as a psychic could get anyways. Rikuo and him however...let's just say their relationship was a little strained as of late. Needless to say, Rikuo was prolonging _that_ discussion for as long as possible. Much like a parent prolonged the _talk_ with their kids.

Naturally, this was getting on Saiga's and Kakei's nerves. The atmosphere was so… _tense_, as if it was a rubber band and would soon snap. They didn't know quite what to do with their two young charges at this point.

"Kazahaya, stack this," Rikuo said blankly.

Kazahaya gave him that worried frown, "Okay," he said sadly.

Saiga groaned inwardly at the awkward exchange of words. Could they get any more pitiful? He doubted it.

Kakei and Saiga shared a glance. Their discussion the night before had them deciding it would be best if they had their eyes on Kazahaya at all times. After all, they didn't know when Tsukiko would arrive, or when Kei would inevitably show up to "reclaim" her twin.

Kazahaya's eyes followed Rikuo around the store. He knew that the conversation they needed to have would be spoken soon enough. He also knew how Rikuo would react and he definitely wasn't looking forward to that. His heart hurt so much that he wanted to cry. He felt like glass; if he was dropped once he would break. So, he took a shaky breath.

"Rikuo," and when Rikuo looked at him, he had to struggle not to cry, "we need to talk."

~x*x*x*~

After the two got off work, they headed up the stairs. Achingly slowly, both terrified of the conversation about to take place.

Kazahaya carefully served tea and then sat down across from Rikuo. He fidgeted and squirmed under Rikuo's gaze.

"What did Kakei mean when he said you _knew_?"

Kazahaya frowned, "Know? About what?"

"Don't play dumb. About what the creature said!" Rikuo, although trying, was coming to the end of his patience.

"Oh. That."

Rikuo raised an eyebrow. He didn't recognize the tone, nor the unreadable expression on Kazahaya's face. He already didn't like where this was going.

Kazahaya drew in another shaky breath and looked down at his folded hands. "I—I am so sorry, Rikuo."

Rikuo's eyes widened in surprise and he was almost shocked when he realized that Kazahaya was on the verge of tears. "Wha—what?"

"I—it's because of me," tears threatened to spill over.

"What the _hell_ are you talking about, Kazahaya?"

"Tsukiko!" Kazahaya cried out and put his head on the table. He knew even her name was taboo for Rikuo.

"_What_?" There was a low growl to his voice. This discussion was dangerous. Very dangerous.

"W-when I r-ran away…my f-family…they tried to get me back…using _other_ psychics…" Kazahaya's voice broke; he lifted his head and tried to meet Rikuo's eyes. The effort from trying not to cry was taking its toll on his poor heart.

Rikuo knew, somehow, that "other psychics" meant Tsukiko. He was angry, and at the moment, he was blinded to reason. So, since he knew to be mad at Kazahaya's family, his anger figured he should be mad at Kazahaya himself, too.

"It's all my fault…I'm so sorry, Rikuo. If I hadn't of run away…but…I couldn't _stay_ there anymore. I—I was suffocating. Please," he begged, "please understand."

Rikuo with all his bitterness, anger, and hatred couldn't find the incentive to understand. "So. You're the one who put Tsukiko's life at risk." His voice was deadly even, like the calm before a terrible storm. He was glaring at Kazahaya and grinding his teeth.

Kazahaya sputtered, "I—I—I don't—"

Rikuo hissed, "I never want to see your face again. I wish I'd never saved you."

Kazahaya's fragile heart broke in a million pieces. He sat there stunned and hurt. He didn't know what he'd been expecting exactly. Perhaps a small part of him had hoped that Rikuo _would_ understand. He also knew that this would be the way Rikuo reacted, but that certainly didn't make him feel any better.

Kazahaya's face went dull, devoid of any emotion. "I'm sorry." He hugged himself and looked down.

Rikuo stood up, violently jarring the teacups and moving the table, and walked to the door. He grabbed Kazahaya's coat off the hook and threw it at the light brunette. Kazahaya took a minute to process what had hit him exactly, and when he did realize, whatever whole part of his heart was left, shattered. "Leave," Rikuo spat. Rikuo had disowned him by kicking him out. This would be like denying his very existence.

Kazahaya slowly rose to his feet. He smiled sadly at Rikuo, "Thank you." And then left the apartment. The door was slammed behind him. He walked down the steps, numb to all feeling. He didn't go into the store; Saiga and Kakei didn't need to see him like this.

He shrugged the jacket on and walked through the park, hands in his pockets. Some people noticed him. Those who did were worried. When Kazahaya eventually got to a completely abandoned portion of the park, he sat down on a bench. A slight breeze picked up his hair and blew through it, making it messy. He didn't care.

Kazahaya looked at his shoes, at the ground, but wasn't really seeing anything. Then, when he finally felt wetness stain his cheeks, he whispered, "Rikuo hates me."

The sky had been grey before, threatening of rain, but now it did rain. As if matching Kazahaya's own miserable state. He cried.

Heart-wrenching sobs came out of his mouth as fell off the bench and onto his knees. He hugged himself, trying to hold himself together as he fell apart. Tears ran freely down his face. He cried harder when his mind ran through the last memory he had of Rikuo.

Rain soaked him, but he welcomed it. He looked up at the sky and cried out in emotional pain. Tears flowed faster. He put his face in his hands, muffling the sobs that tore through him. Every sob was filled with so much pain that he felt his heart breaking over and over. His nose ran.

He knew it should've been cold, should've been wet, but he couldn't feel anything other than the agonizing pain that ran through him like a thousand knives.

When the tears stopped, his soul felt as if it'd been through a mixer, spat out, hit with a baseball bat, made into a cake, and then crumbled to dust.

He sat there, numb to anything and everything. He wasn't seeing, he was barely even breathing. The thought took him back to all those months ago when Rikuo had found him in the snow. The memories played through his head and made him cry again, quietly this time. He made no sound. For Kazahaya was broken.

~x*x*x*~

Rikuo hadn't slept a wink that night. Was too angry to. When his alarm clock beeped, he hit down the button, almost breaking it. He got into the shower, didn't eat, and went downstairs to the drugstore.

When he opened the door, Saiga was leaning against the counter and Kakei next to him. Both had _very_ worried looks on their faces.

"What?" Rikuo said in a monotone voice.

"Rikuo…how did it go?"

Rikuo gave a bitter "hmph".

"Rikuo?" Kakei was almost frantic now.

"I'll never forgive him," He growled dangerously.

Kakei paled, this is what he had been afraid of. "Rikuo. _Where is he_?"

"Who cares," Rikuo scoffed, "I hope he goes and gets himself hurt."

That was it. Saiga rushed across the floor and punched Rikuo square in the jaw. "Don't say shit like that, brat!"

Kakei looked pretty pissed as well, "Rikuo, what. Did. You. SAY?"

Rikuo dragged a fist across his mouth, clearing away the blood. "I only told him I never wanted to see his pathetic, naïve face again. And that I wished I'd never saved him."

Kakei's eyes widened in horror, "What have you done? What have you _done_?"

"Brat! Do you have _any idea _of what you did?" Saiga yelled, which surprised him, because Saiga _never_ yelled. "You may have just killed him, Rikuo. I hope you're happy."

During this time, Rikuo's anger slowly dissipated and finally directed itself more properly at Kazahaya's family, whoever they were. It was then, that Rikuo realized his horrible mistake. But was it too late?

~x*x*x*~

**A/N: **

**GAH. That killed me. I hated doing that to poor Kaza *****cries* please don't hurt meeee reviewers~**

**So, since I've got the flow back rushin' at me 100% I'll likely update in 2 days, or even tomorrow. Geesh my own story almost made me cry. That was rough. Sorry, ya'll. *winces***

**Woot! 5 pages! More will be revealed in the next chapter. Stay tuned~ (LOL always wanted to say that hahahaha)**


	4. Chapter 4

Ch. 4

**Review Responses~**

**BleedingOpal: thanks for reviewing! Hehe this quick enough for ya? ;)**

**NoodleFighter: as always thank you for the review :) yes. I would have punched Rikuo as well. and you do make a very valid point, and actually I did do it quickly like that for many reasons…but don't worry—what you desire to read will be in this chapter. I had it planned that way *smirks***

**SoubixLoveless: hahahaha you do that xD**

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING. Clamp does! As well as a good portion of my soul…xD**

~x*x*x*~

As Rikuo flew out of the store his mind wandered.

"_I wish I'd never saved you."_

Rikuo flinched. The words he'd said sounded harsh, even to him. But what killed him now was Kazahaya's face as he said it.

"_I'm sorry."_

For what? You idiot, Rikuo thought, you should have punched me!

The guilt hit him like a hundred pound sack: heavy, with full force, and giving no mercy.

"_Leave."_

Why did he say that? That word—how _could _he? When he knew how Kazahaya felt about it. He'd once said something like "Someday, I'll disappear like the wind." (1) Knowing that…knowing that! How could Rikuo tell him to do the one thing he feared most?

Rikuo hated himself. He'd lost Tsukiko once, and now Kazahaya. He felt he could've saved Tsukiko, if he'd just been there in time. For that, he blamed himself. But this time…this time was different. It really was his fault.

"_Thank you."_

Rikuo wanted to strangle himself. Of all the things to say—why would he say that? Those two words, which in that case could mean so many different things! Thank you. For staying with him? For saving him? For the jacket? Rikuo gritted his teeth and ran faster going all the places he could think of where Kazahaya would go. He asked people if they'd seen him, but if they had, they weren't saying (2).

Rikuo headed into the park, saw a couple, and rushed over to them.

"Have you see a boy? About this high," he put his hand to his chest to indicate the height, "light brown hair, hazel eyes, and an uneven haircut? Please?"

The couple shared a glance. The woman spoke up, "Last night. We saw a boy…he looked horrible—as if someone had just died or something. It was a sad sight. Is he missing?"

Rikuo bit his lip, "Yes. Thank you." Rikuo bowed slightly and took off.

~x*x*x*~

_Kazahaya sat curled up in a ball. He was in that dark, dark room again. A dream, he figured._

_A sound much like a door opening came from a distance, somewhere behind Kazahaya. He didn't care._

"_Kudo-kun."_

_Kazahaya lifted his head a bit. His eyes slid over to the voice._

"_You cannot stay here."_

"_Hello, Tsukiko-san," came the muffled reply._

"_Kudo-kun…"_

"_Leave me alone, please."_

"_I can't do that. You're hurt…at this rate you might even die."_

"_I have no where to go."_

"_You do! The drugstore, remember?"_

_Kazahaya tucked his head back into his arms. "Rikuo…"_

"_He didn't mean any of it. You know that."_

"_No, I don't."_

_Tsukiko frowned. "He was blinded by anger. I'm sure he's aware of his actions now. I'll bet he's looking for you as we speak."_

"_I don't know." His voice sounded weak, even to him. He was also aware of how cold he was. He figured he should be hungry…but no such feeling was there—just the cold._

"_Kudo-kun, listen to me. You must wake up."_

"_I don't wanna. It's painful out there. I…I'll just stay here for a little while."_

"_Avoiding it is only prolonging your suffering. Please, you must listen."_

_Kazahaya closed his eyes._

"_Aren't you angry?" Tsukiko said, her voice rising._

_Kazahaya jumped and then turned to look at her. He blinked._

"_A-ang-angry?" _

"_Yes! Aren't you? You should be! At Rikuo!"_

_Kazahaya hadn't let himself feel anything other than sadness since he broke down in the park._

"_I…I…I don't know. Am I?" He thought for a moment. There was sadness still, a great deal of it too, but as he dug deeper into his heart…he realized that there was bitterness. And anger—lots of anger, actually. Why didn't Rikuo understand him? Why did he say all those cruel things? _

"_Yes. I am angry." Kazahaya was fuming now. _

"_Good! Now wake up and show that bully whose boss!" _

_Had it been under different circumstances, Kazahaya might've laughed at the words, but it wasn't so he didn't. He did, however, wake up._

~x*x*x*~

The park caretaker had been making his rounds late that morning when he came across a teen boy sitting on the ground next to the bench, hunched over. The caretaker walked hastily to the youth's side.

"Hey, sonny, you alright there?"

Kazahaya gave no response. Only looked at the ground, unblinkingly. He was awake, but his body was so cold…

This worried the old caretaker. "Kid?"

Again, Kazahaya gave no sign that he had heard. The old man touched the teen's shoulder. Kazahaya fell over and now lay crumpled up.

The caretaker was startled, and now seriously considered calling an ambulance when someone called out.

"Wait!"

The old man turned his head to see a beautiful young woman with long black hair running towards him. She got there eventually.

"Is he alright?"

"Breathing, miss, do you know him?"

"Yes…we're acquaintances…do you know how long he's been here, sir?"

"He was here before I found him…and he's terribly cold to the touch…I'd guess he's been here a long while," the old man said.

"Thank you. I'll take him home now," the lady answered with a smile.

The caretaker flushed, "Oh no trouble, miss."

Heavy footfalls sounded behind them. The man turned to look, but the woman kept her head bent over Kazahaya.

"Kazahaya!"

Rikuo ran towards the boy, and when he got closer, he got a good look at the woman.

Disbelief widened Rikuo's features.

"_Tsukiko_?"

~x*x*x*~

Back at the drugstore, the group was in the back and Kazahaya was on the couch, unconscious. Again. He seemed to be meeting the couch quite a bit lately, which bothered him. God knows what happens on this couch when Kakei and Saiga are alone (3).

Rikuo hadn't budged from Tsukiko's side since they arrived. That said, he was torn between his worry for Kazahaya and the mountain of questions he had for Tsukiko. The worry won.

"Kakei…I—"

Kakei shook his head. "No. I think you've punished yourself enough. I just wish you would've heeded my advice."

Rikuo blinked.

"_No matter what he tells you when he wakes up…you must not hold him responsible. He's beaten himself up about it as it is. Any more punishment, from you especially, will break him."_

Rikuo instantly felt worse. He had forgotten the advice, and had ended up doing exactly what Kakei had warned against.

The group heard a groan come from the couch. Rikuo immediately whipped his head in Kazahaya's direction. He got up from his chair and, in just a few short strides, was by his side.

"Kazahaya?"

Kazahaya's eyes opened to a well-lit room. He grimaced. It was so friggin' bright. Then, he saw Rikuo.

"Rikuooooo," he said menacingly. His eyes had sparks in them.

"Heeeee! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" (4)

Kazahaya cracked his knuckles. Anger marks appeared on his head.

"I shouldn't have overreacted! I'm sorry!" Rikuo put his hands together in front of his face.

Kazahaya punched him. And, for once, didn't miss. He shook his hand out, massaging the knuckles.

"Ow. There. NOW we're even," Kazahaya hissed.

~x*x*x*~

**A/N:**

**1: ehhh I know that kinda came outta nowhere, but it helped move the story along so I threw it in there.**

**2: lol I'll update the next chapter that day for whoever can guess the reference. You get a hint—it's a song.**

**3: HAHAHAHAHAH! ROFL ROFL *dies* I'm sorry HAHAHAHAHAHA I HAD to put that in there. LOL BWAHAHAHA ahh…(we've seen a chapter where Saiga had his head in Kakei's lap when they were "alone" xD so of course that had a double-meaning xDD)**

**4: that (and the next coupla lines he says) is most definitely OOC. And if its not…then I don't know what is. :P hehe anyway. It was on purpose. xD helped with the comic relief ROFL**

**please review! ^^**


	5. Chapter 5

WARNINGS: eh. if it seemed rushed, that's because i couldn't decide if the chapter needed more in it...so i was all like "what the hay i can't leave these poor ppl to suffer anymore! i'll just post it and see what they think". so. review tell me if it needs more. if it does the next will be PACKED. lol.

Ch. 5

**Review Responses~**

**NoodleFighter: …perceptive…(you'll see what I mean later). Well this IS based off the manga. (again. Later.)**

**YESSS OMG YESSSS I NEED MY FLUFFINESS! :3 It IS hard to live, I feel ya, I feel ya. (3…? It's only been two…chapter 6 had Rikuo and Kaza…WHERE R U READING?! *o*)**

**Hehe, cliffhangers are an author's invention to captivate an audience ^^**

**Eh, Tsukiko kind of…I dunno…fit the moment, ya know? And he's not surprised because remember last chapter (or was it ch. 3…? Kaza's also seen her in dreams in real manga) Tsukiko was in his head, plus…ya know…he's in one of those funks where he really don't care about anything and therefore is unable to be surprised, like he normally would.**

**No, no, no! it's ok! Your criticism is always welcome! Don't apologize…I needed it. In fact, it helped get across some points in the previous chapters. **

**And thank you~ I'm glad it was well done ^^  
HAHAHAH "bastard-less" HAHAHAHAH**

**Yep. OOC he was. XD**

**Don't worry, I will definitely be continuing this for as long as the manga itself remains. ^^**

**MadHatterMCR: NOPE! ^^**

**Sorrowfulchild: thank you~ :D**

**SoubixLoveless: HAHAHA oh. The song. Right. *laughs* I forgot. HAHA Revenge with a fist. Ohh I love ya soubi xDD**

**A/N: the offer for the reference guessing is still up. It doesn't end until someone guesses it.**

~x*x*x*~

Kazahaya exhaled deeply. Rikuo wasn't mad at him anymore, which was good at least. Still, the constant hanging out with Tsukiko was making him a tad jealous. Not that he'd ever admit it, to Rikuo or otherwise. Kazahaya then remembered the small scale that had "implanted" itself in his palm. He stared at it. Kakei had said that it was now his, so to speak, but he hadn't even had any visions yet.

He thought back to the day he woke up in his bed, when he could have sworn his body was last in the park.

_Kazahaya eyes slid open. He was silent. A slight flick to the left and he saw Rikuo with his head in his hands. Odd. Why would he look like that? Kazahaya wondered. The last time he'd seen Rikuo, Rikuo had been furious with him. Enough to even kick him out. So, why now was he so…so…miserable looking? _

_He didn't have an answer to that question, but the change of personality in Rikuo made Kazahaya want to look just a second longer. A minute or so ticked by. Kazahaya felt numb. His body was weak, probably feverish too, and he was cold. _

_The thought made him shiver violently, which drew the attention of Rikuo. Luckily, Kazahaya had closed his eyes when he shivered. Perhaps Rikuo would think he had just woken up. _

"_Kazahaya?" Rikuo said with a concerned voice._

_Kazahaya managed to tilt his head and blink at Rikuo. _

_Rikuo breathed a sigh of relief._

_This was when Kazahaya noticed how terribly blurry Rikuo's face was. Now, that was strange. He must've been sicker than he thought. Figures, he thought annoyed._

_Rikuo must have noticed because he was instantly checking Kazahaya's temperature._

"_KAKEI!" He called out, alarmed._

_Kakei was in the room in a flash. _

"_What? What hap—" he saw the state of the kid. "Oh no…"_

_Kakei was by his side momentarily. He located the pulse on Kazahaya's wrist, checked his temperature, and immediately put a washrag on Kazahaya's head. _

"_Kazahaya? Kazahaya? Can you hear me?"_

_Kazahaya furrowed his eyebrows. Hear? That sense seemed to slowly be fading away. He barely managed half a nod. _

"_Good, can you feel anything? See anything?"_

_Kazahaya shook his head twice. _

"_You can't see?"_

"_No," he croaked, his voice coming out as a whisper._

Kazahaya slowly came back to reality with a smile. Rikuo had reacted badly to him being so ill. Naturally, Kazahaya got better. When he did, though Rikuo seemed to hang out with nobody but Tsukiko.

Kazahaya swept, oblivious to everything around him. This included the strange men in dark suits walking to the store.

~x*x*x*~

Rikuo smiled half-heartedly. His "date" with Tsukiko was going the same way all the others had: nowhere. If he was being honest, he was worried about Kazahaya, who had only just recovered the day before. But, he wasn't being honest. So he convinced himself that his time right now with Tsukiko was what he cared about most. It wasn't overly difficult to do, unfortunately.

"Tsukiko…"

"Hmm?"

"Where were you all this time?"

"...Well. I'm sure you know part of the answer, don't you?"

"Yes, but still, where were you? I looked everywhere!"

Tsukiko gave a guarded smile, "If you already know part of the answer you don't need to know the rest. Use your imagination."

Again. Going absolutely nowhere. Every time he asked, this was the same exact reply he got. Every time.

There was a faint chill in the air. The sun had set a couple of hours ago, after all. Rikuo and Tsukiko walked down the sidewalk together in silence. It was an awkward silence. Rikuo's mind began to drift, briefly.

He thought back to when he'd seen Tsukiko's face a week ago.

_Rikuo ran as fast as he could through the park. Passing joggers, and the occasional biker, there was a slight crowd gathering in front of him. They were whispering. _

_Rikuo went up behind a man in a yellow shirt and tapped him on the shoulder._

_The man spun around, startled. Upon seeing Rikuo he asked,_

"_What is it?"_

"_What's going on?"_

"_Some kid was lying on the ground near a bench. A park keeper found him and some beautiful lady told him that she knew the kid."_

"_How do you know?"_

_The man chuckled and jabbed a thumb at the crowd in front of him. "I WAS in front of these people."_

_Rikuo chuckled lightly too. Then, he thought back to what the man said. "Kid". That had to be Kazahaya. He pushed violently through the tiny crowd and, once past them, gaped._

_The woman kneeling beside Kazahaya was strikingly familiar. He ran forward slightly._

"_Kazahaya!"_

_The woman looked up._

_Rikuo's blood ran cold, as he froze mid-step. Then a hope, that had long since been extinguished, rekindled. Rikuo took in the face and the hair and the clothes. She looked the same as she had before. Almost like she'd never left. _

_A sudden reminder of the worry he had for the boy collapsed brought back his previous desperation. He ran the rest of the way and knelt by Kazahaya._

"Rikuo!"

Rikuo jerked his head to see Tsukiko, pointing. He followed the finger. When he located the object of her anxiety, his heart stopped. Or at least it felt like it had. His mouth went dry.

He'd seen Kakei and Saiga run out of the backroom in the store with panic on their faces. They were shouting at someone in the store.

Rikuo and Tsukiko shared a glance. They both ran down the sidewalk as fast as they could.

They were too late. Rikuo had seen Kazahaya being slung over a tall, bulky man's shoulder like a sack of rice.

"KAZAHAYA!"

It was no use: Kazahaya was unconscious. It was at that moment Rikuo saw a small trickle of blood run down the side of Kazahaya's face. Rikuo's rage kicked in and he ran faster.

He had just enough time to see Kazahaya being thrown into the backseat of a black van, and to see the van driving away in a puff of smoke, before he even got there.

Rikuo halted and fell to his knees. He lifted his fists to the air, and shook them. He let out an anguished cry.

Kazahaya was being taken from him again.

~x*x*x*~

~Rewind to five minutes ago~

Kazahaya stood in front of the shelves near the window. He sighed. So little cleaning to do, so much time. Boredom. That's what he was. Bored. He'd probably dusted that particular shelf at least a dozen times already. Swept near it around three times.

Kazahaya's eye drifted over the magazines. He saw one he hadn't noticed before.

"Yippee," his eyes lit up, "something to do."

For whatever reason Kazahaya was starting to feel dizzy and slightly nauseated. The room swam as the scenery changed before his very eyes.

_A door is shut with extra care and stealth. They do not want to be heard or seen. They have a mission to carry out, a mission that went against most morals…but this was a job and they all needed paydays. A man in a dark suit stuck to the shadows and crept up to the door._

_Kazahaya furrowed his eyebrows. That door…looked exactly like the one the drugstore had. Kazahaya's eyes widened. _

"_Oh no."_

_The man entered the drugstore, took a sharp turn as soon as he was inside, and grabbed hold of the light-brown haired boy standing at the magazine rack. _

_Kazahaya inhaled a panicky breath._

_It was him._

"Kudo-kun! Kudo-kun!" Kakei gently slapped the boy's cheeks. He'd found him moments ago on the ground, panting.

Kazahaya, still not totally "awake" yet, tried to tear away from Kakei's grip. But, in his weakened state…to no avail.

"K-Kakei…-san?" Kazahaya asked his body relaxing.

"Kudo-kun, what happened?!" Kakei demanded.

"I-I-I don't know…I saw…"

"What? What did you see, Kudo-kun?" Concern filled Kakei's voice.

Kazahaya gulped. "M-men. Three men in black suits…" Kazahaya's voice shook with fear, "They…they wanted to…"

"Tell me, Kudo-kun!" Kakei pleaded, alarmed.

"W-wanted to—to—k-kidnap…m-me…" Kazahaya shook harder.

"What?! Saiga, check outside! Now!"

Saiga complied.

"Did they succeed?"

Kazahaya's lip trembled. "M-mm hm." He managed.

Kakei cursed. "Don't move, I'll be right back!"

Kazahaya nodded. He stood up slowly, knees still shaking. Eventually he calmed down.

His back was turned away from the window. His front watching the door Kakei had disappeared behind. He didn't even hear the door open until violent hands grabbed him.

Kazahaya let out a blood-curdling scream.

Instantly, a rag was put over his mouth. A wretched smell filled his nostrils, and he fell unconscious.

The man in dark attire lifted the limp body over his shoulder, like a sack of rice, and ran out of the store in a hurry.

People were sure to have heard after all.

Saiga had come around the corner to see Kazahaya, but he was too late. By the time he'd reached where the car had been it was halfway down the street and Rikuo stood in its place.

~x*x*x*~

Rikuo stood, hands clenched by his sides, face downcast, and teeth grinding.

"Saiga," he hissed.

"You don't need to tell me, boy."

Kakei stood in the doorway to the drugstore.

"I shouldn't have left him alone," he whispered guiltily, "I'm so sorry, Rikuo."

~x*x*x*~

**A/N: WHOO! Finally. 6 pages and indecisiveness later. hope you enjoyed!**

**also.**

***grovels* I AM SO SORRY! i had writer's block. when i get that ALL my stories kind of just get...stuck. but thanks to a doodle i got my mojo back! ^^ :D (lol fast update to who know where "mojo" comes from! no. its not powerpuff girls -_-)**


	6. Hiatus Warning

**Dear Reader of OLT,**

**Oh gosh oh dear. i am so so soooo sorry. it's been forever and i have some excuses, and. well. i hate to tell you but this fanfic is going on hiatus until i can get my inspiration back for it. i have terrible writer's block for the story right now and I don't wanna make you wait any longer without giving some explanation...so here it is:**

**1) School work is being dumped on me pile after pile**

**2) i had an exchange student over at my house and was preoccupied with keeping them entertained**

**3) life decided to be crappy and throw a cold my way-er-cough.**

**4) i have exams to study for; they're all coming up in about a month**

**5) my birthday is drawing closer (like in 6 days) anddddd i am being pressured to make a wish list LOL :P**

**and**

**6) I've been really stressed out and sleep-deprived lately**

**SOOO again...i am SUPER DUPER SORRY. i know how this sucks for everyone. but the good news is you only have to wait until the Ch. 10 of Drug & Drop comes out, which i hear is coming in November. hopefully by then my writer's block will be cured and you guys will have the official chapter 6!**

**Please don't hate me...D: *gives everyone cyber cookies* Just remember: i love you all and i feel really terrible about this...but...YOU GUYS DON'T FORGET TO BE AWESOME! Because you are. 3**

**Love,**

**A3shFaerie**


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